


Famous Last Words

by RazorCr3st



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Badass Armin Arlert, Eren Yeager Needs a Hug, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Italian Mafia, M/M, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Older Armin Arlert, Older Eren Yeager, Pain, Sad Ending, Talking To Dead People, Toxic Relationship, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29815986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RazorCr3st/pseuds/RazorCr3st
Summary: Armin has two names tattooed on his chest. One of them is his soulmate, and the other is his killer. There is no way to find out, until he meets his demise.Is it Annie Leonhart,or Eren Jaeger?Who will he stay with, and who does he truly long for?
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart, Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Pieck Finger/Yelena, Sasha Blouse/Niccolo
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. Savior

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of studying/listening in class, so this might be bad. Nevertheless, I hope at least some of ya’ll enjoy this.
> 
> Also: Most of the characters might be OOC, especially Annie. I kinda intentionally made her personality a bit different to work out the plot.

“Here,” he says as he gives out a loaf of bread to the ill child who usually sits by the stairs that lead to the front entrance of the sacred church. The child mutters his thanks and shyly bites off the upper half of the bread before looking up to the tall brunette. Ruffling the child’s already messy hair, he made sure to meet the child again at the same spot before they parted ways.

“Do you always come to church to visit that child or do you come to pray?” Armin asked, his face illuminated by the warm orange light. 

The sun began to set; orange and yellow’s painted the sky. Eren couldn’t help but notice how good Armin looked, basked in the sun, and how his eyes lit up when he watched the pigeons feast on the crumbs of bread. It was these little things that made his heart flutter with joy, even if it was temporary, even if Armin didn’t belong to him. He cherished these small moments where he gets to spendtime with his friend. “I sometimes do both, even without realizing it sometimes.”

Nodding his head, Armin was content with the short answer he received. It’s been a while since he last hung out with Eren. Work and studies have been taking up most of his time and he also had to commit to his relationship with the famous model, Annie Leondhart. Eren has changed a lot, and he wanted to get to know more about him. He wanted to make up for the time they’ve lost, but he knew that they both had other priorities in life. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, have you found a job yet?

“Actually,” he scratched the back of his head, refusing to meet Armin’s gaze. “I’m still looking for one.”

“Hey, maybe I can help.”

“No, you don’t have to. I’m fine on my own.” 

Little by little, the sun began to hide and the sky began to turn dim. They walked hand in hand, taking in the warm scenery of families walking together and tourists taking pictures with bright smiles on their faces. As they continued to walk by the shops, Eren spotted a big poster of a blonde girl holding a designer bag. She was quite short but the way she posed made her look taller. Instantly, he recognized her and tried not to roll his eyes.

“That’s your girlfriend right?” Armin nodded. He forced out a small smile before looking down, suddenly taking interest in his shoes. “Are you happy with her? I barely see you with her.”

“Well, she’s a pretty popular model and I have work to deal with.”

“You didn’t answer my first question.” A frown settled on his face as worry and concern washed over him. Silence filled the atmosphere and Armin grew stiff under Eren’s intense gaze. 

A sudden buzz interrupted the two. Armin took out his phone, only to be bombarded with all sorts of notifications. Eren watched as Armin scanned through his phone with a confused look. The blonde’s eyes widened in shock as he read the article’s headline.

_** “ Annie Leonhart Rumored to be Dating Bertholdt Hoover” ** _

As he continued to scroll through the article, he found photos of Annie and Bertholdt sitting together in an empty park. They sat together  closely , faces almost touching.  _What was she doing with **him? **_ Anger began to build up in his chest as he stared at the paparazzi photos. Eren noticed his change in demeanor and took a peek at his screen.

“Sorry, I’ll be heading home now. Goodbye Eren, I hope I’ll be seeing you around more.” Armin abruptly said before waving goodbye. He walked towards his white car and started its engine.“Do you need a ride home?” 

“Nope, I’m good. Goodnight Armin.” 

“Goodnight Eren, stay safe out there, alright? Write me a letter when you get home.” Despite the fact they had phones and a variety of messaging apps, Eren and Armin preferred to write letters to each other. They started doing this since high school and made it their own “ _special little thing_ ”.

To say Armin was infuriated, is an understatement. He raked his fingers through his blonde locks, murmuring curses as he kept one hand on the steering wheel. _Why was he so mad?_ What if he just assumed the worst? He wasn’t mad because he doesn’t trust her; it was the thought that she could have found someone better was what worried him. Of course, she was Annie Leonhart, and he was just the plain and simple Armin Arlert. The only reason why she was probably with him was because of the light red tattoos on his chest, just where his heart was. 

Having these tattoos were rare. He was one of the last people who had these marks. What did those marks mean? There were two names written on his chest, one of them was the name of his soulmate and the other was going to be his _killer_. There was no way to find out which one is which. 

Annie had convinced him that she was his soulmate, his _lover_. She whispered hypnotic sweet nothings into his ear, making his eyes shine with joy and hope. From time to time, she also reminded him that she was the only one who could love him, not Eren. 

“She loves me. She wouldn’t lie. She said I was special.” He reassured himself while he attempted to steady his breathing. Without the car radio, the ride was silent. Usually, he would play some music to fill the quiet atmosphere. The only thing filling the silence right now were his loud thoughts. His ringing thoughts came to a halt once he spotted his apartment and carefully parked his car, making sure he wouldn’t hit the other car parked right behind him.

Sighing in relief once he managed to park his car, he twisted his car keys to turn off the engine. He opened the door to his space, making sure to lock it once he got in. He bent over to his cat’s height and it purred, showing satisfaction when he stroked the base of its ear. “Ah, you must be hungry.”

——

The alarm blared across the room, signaling the start of a new day. Armin shifted under the sheets of his bed, trying to shield his eyes from the bright light that peeped through his curtains. Groaning in annoyance, he sat up and a yawn escaped his lips. Today, he was going to conduct a research about the ecosystem in the nearest beach.

Tomorrow, Annie was going to arrive in Sicily. He wasn’t excited or anything, but instead he was nervous. After the sudden rumors, she was indeed the last person Armin wanted to see. His relationship with her was far from comfortable. It was always awkward to be around her and he couldn’t help but feel stiff. He had no choice, he believed that she was the only one who could keep him safe. Sometimes he’d like to ask himself if he never had Annie’s name on his chest, would he have been with Eren? As much as he loved her, she was a bit harsh at times. It hurts but he tries to keep his eyes on the bright sides of his relationship.

Armin believed that people can change, sometimes for better or worse. There were times were she would surprise him with all sorts of presents and spoil him with snacks. She wasn’t the type of person to give physical affection, so he assumed that buying him presents was her way of being affectionate. Armin loved his presents, and guilt would consume him after all the negative thoughts he had about her regarding the fights they had. 

Looking in the mirror, he eyed his clothed figure and tightened his necktie. He took a glance at the high-end watch Annie had given him for his birthday. It was 6:30am, so he still had time to stop by the cafe he frequently visited. With a heavy sigh, he opened his drawer and grabbed his fragrance bottle, spraying the perfume on his wrist and neck. The scent of sandalwood and amber overwhelmed his senses, causing him to sneeze. Red tinted his nose and cheeks, so he waited for a while in order to cool down.

Stopping by his front door, a white envelope could be found just by the doormat.His eyes gleamed with excitement as he bent down to pick it up. Written on the middle of the envelope, was his name in capital letters. He quickly shoved it in his messenger bag then rushed down the stairs. He pulled out his car keys, starting the engine before driving away to the cafe. 

——

“One Mocha Frappuccino, I’ll have it in grande please.” 

“Alright, please wait for your order by the other side of the counter.”

He drummed his fingers on the counter, leaning his body against it as he waited for his order. He usually got big discounts on his order since he knew the owners of the cafe. One of the owners, Historia, was really nice to him. She had such a sweet and caring personality. The other owner, Ymir, was usually cold and always wore a stoic expression. In spite of that, she was caring to those who got to know her. 

Turning around to look for available seats, he spotted his co-worker Maxine. She was busying herself with different books and jotted down on her black notebook. He failed to meet her eyes since she seemed to be so occupied with the task at hand. 

“Hey Max,” he greeted.

She shot her head up to meet his gaze and quickly adjusted her spectacles. “Oh, hi Armin.” 

Once Armin collected his order, he sat in front of Max as they talked about their new project. The conversation slowly drifted away from the topic as they started to talk about the different drinks in the menu. A thought popped up in her head and she narrowed her eyes at the boy.

“Not to be nosy but how are you and Annie? What’s the tea?”

“Why is this the question I have to deal with all the time?” Maxine chuckled at his response. 

“The rumors lately have been quiet concerning. I hope it’s nothing serious on your end.” 

“ _Yeah, I hope so too_ ,” he thought to himself.

They quickly ended their conversation once the clock struck 7, meaning they had to head to their office now. She grabbed her bag and dumped her trash in the bin before waving goodbye. “I’ll see you later.”

He reciprocated the action and got in his car. This time, he made sure to blast some music to keep him sane in the early hours of the morning. As the song played, he couldn’t help but sing to the song with pride since he managed to memorize the lyrics by heart. He wasn’t a good singer but he enjoyed singing just for fun. Eren was actually the one who got him into music. He was short-tempered and music would help him calm his nerves. Usually, he would let Armin listen to his music too.

He lightly taps his foot to the beat, smiling to himself as he remembered that one afternoon where Eren danced to the song as if Armin wasn’t in the room. They were high schoolers at the time. That day, Eren was teaching Armin how to dance with a girl for prom night. But none of them got a date. Instead, they danced with each other  _platonically_.

Turning left, he spotted his workplace and parked his car at a vacant spot. He found Maxine’s black  Range Rover parked across him, so he assumed she must have got here first. He locked his car and slung his bag over his shoulder, making his way to the conference room.

——

Faint music could be heard from the speaker, and Eren hummed the catchy tune without losing focus on the report he had to read.

“Do you want some?” The blonde man with odd-looking glasses and a beard, poured the citrus juice into the vodka. He threw in a slice of lemon and handed it to Eren.

“No, it’s literally four in the afternoon. I’d rather get some coffee.” He replied without looking up to meet Zeke’s curious gaze, continuing to go over some documents he received last night. Flipping over a folder, he found a report about one of the gang’s members. Apparently, he betrayed the gang and had been participating in activities that involved human trafficking, which he most likely profited from. He clenched his fist in anger and his nails dug onto the palm of his hand. Blood started emerging from the wound and he finally looked up at Zeke.

“Give me that drink, and my gun.” 

Zeke nodded and turned to the tall woman who sat behind the counter. “Yelena, you heard him.”

“Yes boss,” she stood up and despite the fact Eren was sitting on an elevated stool, she still towered over him. She went to the back-room and opened the gun safe, revealing the matte black Baretta 92FS that Eren usually used. After making sure it was the correct gun he asked for, she closed the gun safe and returned to the counter.

“Boss, do you want me to notify your squad?”

“Sure,” he says before finishing his drink in one go.

“Got it, I’ll be sending you the pinned location.”

The black Lexus F Sport rolled up to the driveway and the chauffeur handed him the keys before he drove away to the location Yelena had sent. Eyeing his surroundings, he passed by Niccolo’s restaurant and spotted the target just across the street. 

He has witnessed every sin and the way sinners would commit the act;  human trafficking was something he couldn’t tolerate. Especially  _ child trafficking _ , he despised it will all his heart. He always had a weak spot for children. Maybe the result of losing both his parents as a child, made him develop a savior complex that applied to children who are in need. 

He hated the thought of people caging others with their filthy desires: money or usually  _ lust _ . Images of the kid from the church flashed in his mind. The way the child begged for the gangster’s mercy, but the cruel man took pleasure upon the sight of the crying child. The man continued to beat the child’s mother, and his siblings, slitting open their flesh and revealing their organs. With a gloved hand, he carefully placed the organs in a cold box.

The child couldn’t do anything. He was weak, scared, unable to fight. He knew what the man was capable of doing, if he were to fight, he would only join his small family in their state of misery. 

Eren was too late when he came to rescue the child in the dark alley with his squad. The remains of the child’s family laid across the ground. The stench of blood and rotting insides gave his subordinate a nauseating feeling. She covered her nose with her red scarf and she silently cried, tears soaking the fabric. His other subordinate, Reiner, called the clean up team. Eren made sure to give them a proper burial and take care of the child, who always sat by the stairs of the church, waiting for him.

——

“Alright, that’s it for today guys.” Armin smiled in content as he scanned over the diagram and report they made. His co-workers said their goodbye’s and he thought about whether or not he should eat at home or go to a restaurant. Since it was the start of the week, he decided to treat himself so he could get through the hectic week that awaits him.

He pushed the doors open and the aroma of steak and lobster filled his senses, making his stomach growl in response. The waitress showed him to the available seat and handed him the menu. While he sat down and scanned the menu, he felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to flinch at the sudden contact.

“ _ARMIN_!” Sasha called.

“Sasha, what’re you doing here?”

“I didn’t think I’d see you here today. I’ll treat you to the best food!”

“What?! No, no, it’s alright, I can pay.”

“My husband owns this place idiot. I can practically do what I want.” She flashed him a cheeky grin before walking back to the counter.

Dinner was served and he made sure to savor the taste of each and every dish. The food never failed to amaze him and Sasha smiled in triumph. After gulping down the contents in his mouth, he looked up at Sasha to give her another comment.

“Wow, you must be really lucky to have someone cook you these everyday.”

“I know right!? Try to get a person who can cook. Then once you approve of their cooking skills, propose to them!” 

“That’s too early for that.” Armin shyly responded as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Hm, I don’t think Annie can cook though. I don’t think she had the time to even learn since she’s always busy with her career.”

“It’s fine, I can cook.”

“Eh? Cook me a fine meal next time, alright? I’ll be sure to give you an honest rating.” 

Chuckling at her request, he nodded before paying the bill, but Sasha insisted that she pay for tonight’s food. The only thing he could offer her was his thanks, and with that he left to get his car, which was in a parking lot a few blocks ahead. The streets were dark, and the only source of light came from the streetlight just in front of the restaurant. As he walked down the eerie streets of Sicily, an unfamiliar shadow lurked beside him and a gasp left his mouth. He knew that Sicily was never safe at night, since most gang meetings and illegal transactions occurred at this time. Upon realizing that he was in a possible life-threatening situation, he made sure to put his hand close to his pocket where he could easily reach for his phone.

“Care for a walk? I can help you get to your car.”

“Sorry, I don’t know you sir. I’m fine on my own.”

“No you’re not. Let me help you get there.” Armin sensed the eagerness and impatience in the man’s voice, which sent alarms blaring in his head. The strange man grew more persistent. His bloodshot eyes looked somewhat strange to Armin. 

“ _ Ah that’s right, he’s high Armin, make a run for it. _ _”_ He thought.

“Sir, if you don’t leave me alone, I’ll call...”

“You’ll call what? The police? They could care less about you.” He harshly said before grabbing Armin’s wrist, locking him in place with his tight grip. Armin flinched at the man’s raised voice. “Don’t resist and maybe I’ll let you see another day.” Suddenly, his grip became loose and the man’s eyes widened in fear. Armin looked at the man for a split second and decided to run.

He quickly got in his car and drove away as fast as possible until he lost sight of the man. Confusion clouded his thoughts, but right now he didn’t care. He was lucky enough to escape and be in his car right now. Not all people were as lucky as him, yet he couldn’t help but wonder why was he so lucky. What could possibly scare a dangerous man?

_ Did the man have some sort of affiliation with the gang?  _

_ What scared him so much that he let go of his opportunity to kidnap Armin? _

The airport came into view and there were a few cars here and there. Luckily, there was an empty parking spot close to the entrance. Lost in his thoughts, he remembered the letter Eren had given him this morning and decided to read it now. He rummaged through his messenger bag and found the white envelope with his name on it, proceeding to open it with care. He took out the letter and turned on the car’s built-in light to get a better look at it.

_ Dear Armin, _

_ I had fun hanging out with you. I can’t help but miss those days where I could just visit you in the dormitory. We used to be busy with simple things like schoolwork or club activities. Now, it’s more than just that. I’m glad you’re still there for me. Being with you makes me forget about the things I have to do and the things I wish I’ve never done.  _

_ Anyways, did you get home safe?I hope you slept well. Good luck with work alright? Lmao you should tell me those stories and random facts about the ocean next time.  _

_ \- Eren _

——

The target was holding someone close to him, Eren abruptly stepped on the brakes which emitted a loud screech. He got off his car and ran towards the target, raising his gun. The man paused, letting the familiar victim run free.

“Don Jaeger, what are you doing here?” The man nervously chuckled then reached for something behind his back pocket, but Eren beat him to it. He shot the man’s forearm and he cried out in pain. He fell on his knees as he begged Eren to spare his life.

“How dare you place your filth on him.”

“I don’t know him Don. I didn’t know he was your friend or anything of the sort.”

“He means so much to me. Did you ever stop to think about it? Did you ever stop to think about how much your victims meant to someone else? That person could be someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s boyfriend or someone they love. Ever come to think of it?” Eren placed a hand on his chin as he thought of the right words to say.

“Have you ever felt **_free_**?”

“No, Don. Please, spare me. I won’t do anything again. Let me go for tonight and I won’t bother you again.”

“Yeah, you won’t be bothering me again.” The target smiled in excitement and gave Eren his thanks before walking off. Just when he was about to turn to a corner, an excruciating pain could be felt on his back. With a shaky hand, he touched his back and his hand was drenched with blood. 

He reloaded his gun and fired more and more shots, finding satisfaction as he acknowledged his achievement in avenging Armin. It’s not like Armin was injured or anything, but the situation was enough to haunt him in his sleep, and Eren didn’t want him to suffer. He wanted Armin to live a peaceful life, without having such occurrences that will plague him in his sleep. 

The bullet went through the corpse; anger clouding the mafioso’s eyes. “ _You’re free now_ ,” he growled, dragging the body and a black duffle bag to a dark alleyway. The bag revealed stacks of cash and stashes of drugs.He took out his lighter and set the bag on fire. Its contents burning away, turning to nothing but ashes. Just beside his shoe, he found a wrinkled photograph of a girl in a white blouse and black trousers. He looked closely to identify the girl, and his blood started to boil in anger. He emerged from the alleyway and saw the distressed man desperately trying to contact someone.

——

“It’s so quiet, go put on some music if you want.” Annie sighed, sulking in her seat as she took in the scenery of the sleeping province. There were barely any cars around and few street lamps illuminated the road. He just fetched Annie from the airport, and they were both tired, wanting nothing more than to get under the covers and fall into a peaceful slumber. 

He pushed some buttons and music began to play in a low volume. His body was stiff and his gaze refused to meet Annie’s. He kept his eyes on the road, slowly drifting away with his thoughts. 

Whenever he was around with Eren, he couldn’t help but think that he was hiding something. It’s not that he didn’t trust him, he was worried that Annie was right. Maybe he didn’t know Eren. After all, everyone has changed. Perhaps he had changed too, but did Eren seem to notice?

Now that he thought about it, he wished someone was there to save him when he was vulnerable under that man’s grip. Is that how other victims felt? Did they long for someone to come rushing in to save them? He knew no one was there at the time, yet he felt like he was saved. But it could’ve just been pure coincidence. Maybe the man saw someone or something that distracted him, giving Armin enough time to escape. 

_ Why did it matter to him?  _

_ Why did the thought of having a savior matter to him? _

That’s right. He was lonely. He longed for someone to be there when he was vulnerable. He longed for someone to care. He longed for the warm touch that would make him melt under their arms. He longer for a safe place, a haven. Annie couldn’t save him. She’s always far away from him, always far from reach. She was so close to him at times, but he never could he reach out to her. On the other hand, he was always occupied with work. None of them could be there for each other. 

“ _Armin, the road_!” Annie scolded him. The sudden loud yell snapped him out of his thoughts, his grip tightened and he accidentally turned the steering wheel _a little_ _ too much_ to the right, causing the car to swerve. She held on to the back of Armin’s seat, bracing herself to prevent the possibility of hitting her head against the car window. 

“Sorry, I’m just tired, I guess.” 

His phone started ringing and he looked at the caller ID. The number wasn’t from his contacts, nor was it familiar to him. He hesitantly answered the call and pressed his phone against his ear.

“Hello? You might have gotten the wrong number.” Before he was going to end the call, the caller spoke up.

“Armin, it’s me Niccolo! I’m Sasha’s husband.”

“Oh hey, what’s up? Thanks for tonight’s food by the way. I really—“ Armin was suddenly interrupted by the voice.

“ _She’s gone, Armin_! Sasha’s missing! She just went outside to take out the trash and then she disappeared.” His voice wavered, as he held back a sob. “Please, help her. You’re friends with the boss right?

“Boss? What’re you talking about?” He nervously chuckled and he could feel Annie staring right into his soul.

“Do you really think now’s the time to joke around?”

“I’m sorry Niccolo but I don’t know what boss you’re talking about.”

“ **_ Don Jaeger _ ** , you’re friends with him right?”


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who would want to come home empty-handed?
> 
> Armin gives up his peaceful life and joins Eren into the underground world. Together with the gang, they put their lives at stake to go against their biggest rival, Marley, who is currently in possession of their friend Sasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... enjoy

“Alright, I’m coming over. Hang in there, okay?” Armin said with shaky breaths before ending the call and setting his phone aside. His tears threatened to fall, making his vision blur in the process. With his other hand, he wiped his tears and changed his route. “I’m going back to the restaurant.”

“No, turn around Armin. Don’t get involved in this.”

“I have to. Sasha is my friend and I’m not just gonna live my life, pretending nothing had happened. I don’t want to sleep at night knowing I was there when Sasha got kidnapped. Being a bystander is just as bad as those criminals.” 

“No, you have to stay safe. I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to get involved just to save her.”

Despite Annie’s protests, Armin continued to drive towards Niccolo’s restaurant. Once the restaurant came into view, he spotted a group of people around Niccolo. He couldn’t identify the people from afar, so he decided to assume that they were Niccolo’s friends who came to help. He was about to get out of the car but Annie grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

“ _Don’t_ ,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

“Let go of me Annie. I don’t care if you’re going to help or not. Sasha is  my  friend.”

“No, I don’t want to lose you.” Annie released her grip and looked him in the eyes. “Saving her is just a suicide mission. There’s no point in trying. Do you even know how to fight? You don’t even have a plan to begin with.”

“Trying won’t hurt.” He finally got out of the car and Annie followed him. This time, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer.

“Armin, what the hell is wrong with you? Don’t tell me you’re going to leave me too.”

“You have Bertholdt, right? If you did care, you would’ve offered to fight with me to save Sasha.” Armin’s eyes widened once he realized how harsh he sounded. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Annie’s chest tightened. She genuinely loved Armin, but she couldn’t explain what she felt towards Bertholdt. She stayed with Armin because she believed he sealed her fate. She was shocked at first when Armin reached out to her, and she wasn’t prepared for a relationship at the time, since she was only starting to gain popularity in the modeling industry. But she decided to pursue the relationship anyway. She was cold and, far from girlfriend-material. She was taught to manipulate others and was used to being in control. Manipulating people became a habit. She started to subconsciously do it even if she didn’t mean to. It was hard, and she knew that there was no one else to blame but herself. There were times where she wanted to leave the relationship, hoping she’d spare Armin from her cruel nature, but then Armin would go to Eren. She  loathed  Eren and considered him a monster, so she thought that it would be much better for Armin to stay with her. 

_ I’m the better choice, right? _

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. There was no way to undo her actions. The damage was done. She hurt Armin Arlert. She should’ve preserve his optimistic and vibrant nature, but she stained him with her darkness. Maybe if she got rid of Eren, she could break up with him and Armin could find someone better. Armin could be happy again. 

Guilt consumed Armin as he stared at her. The grief and pain was evident in her eyes. Even if she tried to mask it with her tough expression, all he saw was the conflicted soul within her. “Goodbye Annie.”

“Promise me you’ll make it out alive. Promise me you’ll come home.” Never did she expect these words would come out of her mouth. The memory of her father making her promise to return home, plagued her mind. That day when she had to protect him. If she failed to protect him, those men were going to kill her father for his sins. She made a proposal to make sure her father would never be bothered again, but she had to leave him in the process. Sacrifices had to be made if she wanted to keep him safe.

“ _Annie, I can’t tell you to forgive me now. I don’t care if you make the entire world your enemy. Even if you are hated by the whole world, father will always be on your side, so please promise me that you’ll come home_.”

_ That is my most important mission. _

“I promise.” Armin nodded before they parted ways.

——

“Eren? Mikasa?” Armin stood there, left in a shocked state as he looked up the two figures standing before him. Even if she was covering her face with a hood and red scarf, he was still able to recognize her. Well, the red scarf sort of gave it away.

“Armin?” The other two said in unison. 

“What’re you guys doing here?” 

“Sasha’s our friend too, so we’re obviously going to help out.” Mikasa answered, fiddling with the hem of her red scarf. Armin was surprised that she still wore the scarf Eren had given her eleven years ago. Just like Armin and Eren, she had lost her parents at a very young age. 

_ How did she lose her parents?  _

On an unfortunate weekend, a group of armed men raided her house. Together with her parents, she was supposed to be trafficked. Her parents resisted and in result, they were killed right in front of her eyes. Young Eren happened to be there and saved her.

“Armin, are you sure you want to help out? I remember you as the type of person who wouldn’t get in fights.” Eren said as he recalled the events where Armin got beat up by his bullies. He decided to fight off the bullies but he wasn’t a good fighter  at the time . Mikasa was near the scene and when she approached the bullies. They ran away, knowing that picking a fight with Mikasa would be a terrible idea. 

“Now I have a reason to fight.” 

A shorter man emerged behind Eren and scanned Armin from head to toe. He reached for something in his pocket and waved his gun at Armin. The blonde instantly raised his hands up and gave Eren a look of concern and confusion.

The man tossed the gun at Armin but he didn’t catch it. 

“ _Tsk_ , I was going to give it to you. You’ll need it.” He heaved a sigh, disappointment easily noticed by the way the look in his eyes seemed to grow darker. “Don Jaeger, anything else?”

“Jeez, go easy on him Levi. He’s never touched a gun before.” 

“I can tell,” the man named Levi said before returning to the black van parked across the street.

“Look, I’m not who you think I am. I don’t have a job because—“ Eren was about to confess about his “ _ job _ ”, but was soon interrupted by Armin who finished his sentence.

“You’re a mafia boss, aren’t you? Have you... _ killed anyone _ ?”

“I did, but I never wanted to. I never enjoyed it either. The mafia’s goal is to offer protection to people, and sometimes you need to get rid of the bad people to protect those you care about.”

The life-threatening occurrence Armin had experienced a while ago, entered his train of thought. “Were you there when I left Niccolo’s restaurant?”

“Yes, I killed that man.”

Armin offered to join the mafia, and after countless protests, Eren finally allowed him to join, but with one condition. If anything were to happen to Eren, he must not come to save him. The last thing he wanted was for Armin to get killed trying to save him.

“ _I wish he stayed out of this. I swear, I don’t know what got into him. He’s so stubborn now_. ” Eren thought.

If he wanted Armin to survive, then he needed to teach him how to defend himself. He can’t be by Armin’s side the whole time if he’s going to go against the gang that took Sasha. If he were to take a guess, the mafia that took Sasha was their biggest rival, the Marleyan Mafia.

“How did you even end up in the  _ ruling _ mafia of Sicily in the first place?” 

“Armin just get in the car, then we can talk.”

As Eren promised, he explained how he got in the famous Eldian Mafia. His father Grisha was the leader of the mafia. He had an affair with a woman, Dina Fritz, who was living under the protection of the Marleyan Mafia. After getting married in secret, they had a child named Zeke Jaeger. The Marleyans weren’t too happy when they found about their relationship, and they saw this as a form of betrayal, killing Dina in the process. In order to survive, Zeke had to join the Marleyan Mafia. 

Soon, Zeke found out about Grisha’s death and reunited with Eren once he inherited the reigning position in the Eldian Mafia. Zeke decided to leave the Marleyan Mafia, upsetting Marley’s boss. Now, he was Eren’s right-hand man  But who was Marley’s boss ? Eren and Zeke did not know. Unlike Eren, Marley’s boss never revealed their identity. Absolutely no one knew about them. They left no trace and leads. It was almost as if they never existed.

“Most would say they were a newbie and wanted the spot so bad they killed the boss on their first day.” A guy named Connie added.

Mikasa nodded. “Some said they killed everyone who knew them, making sure no one would find out about their identity.”

“No need to scare the blonde.” Zeke said after seeing Armin’s trembling figure.

“His name is Armin. Also, you’re blonde too.” Eren scoffed.

Armin felt a shiver run down his spine and was left with a sick feeling in his stomach. The color drained from his face, realizing the dangers of going against such a ruthless leader. He was also afraid he didn’t have the skill to fight off the enemies. If he can’t even defend himself, then how will he fight for the people he cared about? 

1:36am. The road was a bit elevated since the exclusive village was up the hills. Armin had fallen asleep, head resting on Eren’s shoulder. This gesture was normal, and obviously  _ platonic _ . As friends, they were affectionate to each other. Sometimes they shared hugs or would sleep with each other,  _but of course they didn’t do anything besides sleep_.  When walking, Eren would usually wrap an arm around Armin’s shoulder out of habit. To Eren, these small acts would make his heart skip a beat or leave him in a flustered state. A warm feeling would make his body tingle at the sensation, sometimes getting him worked up at midnight until the ungodly hours of the morning. But he wasn’t sure if Armin felt the same.

Did Armin feel it when he was around? The sound of his own heartbeat, could he hear the loud thump when they were together? The vast sea of stars in the night sky, was it as beautiful as the one Eren can see only when Armin is around? Years and years have passed, they’ve both grown so much. As they continued to grow, they continued to have more responsibilities, setting the two apart. He feared that Armin never felt the same way. He was with Annie now, and he seemed alright, then why did he still have hope in an unrequited love? Why did he still dream and watch from afar? He could’ve moved on with someone else, yet here he was, falling for him again and again.

There were more and more stairs, he could’ve been going up, where he could see a future with someone else, yet he chose to fall back to the bottom again. No matter how many times he convinced himself that Armin did not love him that way, he still continued to hurt himself by falling all over again. Even if Armin didn’t choose him in this life or the previous life, he’d still wait for him in the next. 

Eren Jaeger, the impatient, bratty, and rebellious kid, was patient for once. If it’s Armin, then he’d be patient, he’d wait. If someone were to break Armin’s heart, he would be there for Armin and help him pick himself up again. He’d take it slow and watch his friend stand up again and bloom. Even if Armin still wouldn’t choose him, even if could never understand Eren’s love for him, Eren will always support him if he were to ever pursue another relationship. He’d always be there to support him in anything.

As he gazed at the night sky, leaning against the balcony rail, he thought about those summer nights where he would bring Armin to the fields to show him the millions of stars across the sky. They would roll over the grass, and come home with clothes stained with dirt. The echoes of their laughter could be heard in the quiet atmosphere. It felt like they were in their own little world, just the two of them, the field, and the sky. 

He closed the doors behind him, careful not to wake Armin. After grabbing some pillows and blankets, he laid himself on the couch and the aftermath of today’s tiring mission started kicking in. He felt his eyelids grow heavier by the moment and finally drifted off to sleep.

——

“No, no, you hold it like this.” Eren’s hand made its way to his and corrected his hold on the gun. Only now did he notice how close Eren’s face was, but his eyes were still on the target at the far end of the shooting range. Tossing aside the weird feeling, he took in every word Eren had said and let the newfound information sink in. 

“Okay, now try it.”

He was definitely not ready. Never did he think he would have a gun in his hands, nor use one. “Now?”

“Yes, go ahead. Just don’t shoot my car.”

_ Oh god I might shoot his car.  _ His hands were far from steady and they started to get clammy. Eren took notice of his uneasy state then placed a hand on his shoulder which caused him to look up at him.

“Hey, I don’t really care if you shoot my car. I can just get a new one.”

_Thanks for the support. That definitely made me feel less nervous_. 

Eyes locked on the target and after a little bit of hesitation, he finally managed to pull the trigger, the recoil causing him to flinch. He lowered the gun, but his eyes were still shut close. After relaxing a bit, he opened his eyes to check if he had hit the target. As expected, he missed.

For two hours straight, they did several rounds of shooting and Armin’s progress was noticeable. His hands weren’t as shaky anymore and his stance was definitely better. His aim and accuracy were sharper and Eren was more than proud to see his drastic improvement. 

“ _ Eren !  Armin _ _!_ You guys haven’t had breakfast.” Mikasa called them and ushered the two inside the house.  


Eren’s mansion was fancy. He had two different houses and Armin was only able to visit the smaller one from the other town. The interior was classy and neat. Above them was a big diamond chandelier and Armin knew that even his apartment, car, and belongings altogether would not be able to pay up for that.  There were lots of paintings hung up on the walls which really gave the interior a hint of liveliness. Another thing Armin had noticed was that there were a lot of indoor plants.  _Did Eren like plants_?

The dining table was huge and quiet. Everybody dining suddenly stared at the three. Armin shivered under their intense gaze and held onto Eren’s sleeve. Mikasa lead them to the table before leaving to run some errands. Armin assumed that she was finished with her breakfast and began to ate the mashed potatoes, asparagus, and sausage on his plate. 

“ _Fancy_ ,” he muttered, hoping he could break the silence. To his dismay, nobody responded.

——

The streets were quiet besides the occasional cries of roosters. Up ahead was Armin’s apartment. She took out her keys, opening the door to reveal Armin’s cat. She bent down to pat its head before gently picking it up. 

If Armin or Annie wasn’t around to feed the cat, their neighbor was always kind enough to take care of their cat named Munchkin. Today, Annie was handing Munchkin over to their neighbor.

“Ooh, Munchkin! I’m glad to see you and Annie again.” Their neighbor Carly happily took the cat under her care.

Leaving the apartment, she realized that she had almost skipped breakfast. She walked down the familiar streets and spotted the small cozy donut shop. That shop has been around for some time and she was one of the usual customers. If she had time, she’d usually chat with the friendly owner. Right now, she was in a hurry so she gladly took the donut and ate it on her way to the airport. 

Airplanes, Annie hated them a lot. The boredom would usually get on her nerves, making her irritated. The air pressure and the constant headaches were not enjoyable. For some reason, breathing was a lot harder during flights. Sleeping was the safest option for her. It was a win-win since it passes time and she wouldn’t have to deal with her headaches.

Some companies would let her go on a fancy cruise. Yeah, it was definitely classy and it has that glamorous vibe, but nausea wasn’t glamorous  at all . The irony of having an ocean-loving boyfriend and Annie was the exact opposite. It terrified her, perhaps it was the fact the bottom of the ocean was very dark. As tough and intimidating she might seem, she was afraid of the dark. Another thing about the ocean that scared her was the uncertainty of what was beneath it. Knowing only 5% of those vast waters was a scary thought. 

——

Nothing could be heard besides the occasional sniffs and whimpers. It was cold and she couldn’t escape the weird sensation in the pit of her stomach. A wave of hunger and hopelessness washed over her. It’s been eight hours of nothing but suffering, and all she could do was pray that Eldia would save her. 

_ I wanna go home. _

Her head was throbbing and the back pain was starting to become unbearable. She has been in this position, all tied up for eight hours straight. Her throat was dry and she probably wouldn’t be able to talk again for a while. Would she even be able to make it out alive before she had the time to breathe freely again?

_Niccolo_...

She wanted nothing more than to come home and be in his soothing embrace again.She wanted to thank him over and over again for the meals he prepared for her. He made her happy despite all the situations she had gone through.

Sasha used to be a part of Eldia, but she retired recently. The reason why she retired made her silently beg for her life. She realized how much life could have in store for her. Her life was only beginning. She just got married and opened a lovely restaurant with him. It was just the beginning. 

Kids. She’s always wanted a few. If she had, then she would’ve enjoyed teaching them how to bake. The joy of messing around and the laughter echoing throughout the kitchen. The smiles on their faces and Niccolo peeping through the door to check up on them. 

_ Ah, would they have loved food the way I do? _

_ Maybe one of them would be an amazing chef like Niccolo. _

_ No, that wouldn’t matter. They would have been amazing in their own way. _

It would have been funny. All her friends would be called uncles and aunts and that would make them sound older and boring. Uncle Levi would sound really funny. What about Aunt Mikasa?

“ _ Hey _ ! Get up you filthy demon.” 

——

The ringtone of Yelena’s phone startled Armin since he was engrossed in the book in his hands. It was about the ocean, as usual. Eren sat across Armin, his legs sprawled out as he laid comfortably on the leather couch. He was using his  Nintendo Switch  and interrupting him was the last thing anyone would want to do. 

“ _Eren_.” Zeke called.

“ _Eren Jaeger_. ” Still, no response.

“ _ EREN JAEGER! _ ”

“Shut up. I’m busy.”

Sometimes it was hard for Armin to believe that Eren was now twenty-one, a grown man who was the leader of the most powerful mafia, yet here he was telling his brother to shut up because he was playing a childish game. 

“We received a call from Marley.”

——

In the middle of the dark room stood a dark figure that Sasha could not make out. She was short,  really short , almost like a child. Then again, it could be a child. Sasha was only twelve when she joined Eldia. Eren was only 15 when he became Eldia’s boss. This was no suprise to her. 

The figure stepped closer and was now under the light, exposing her face. Her eyes were doe-like, yet you could see the extreme hatred burning with passion in her brown irises. Sasha would have found her cute, but her menacing glare and the growls that escaped her mouth made her think otherwise.

The girl brought out a phone and dropped it on the ground. It was ringing a number that looked quite familiar, but she couldn’t remember who it belonged to. The caller finally picked up and the girl showed her a piece of paper.

“Say exactly what it says on the paper, or I’ll blow up your brain.” She said through gritted teeth.

_Jeez, how could such a child be so hateful_.

_ Ah, I remember someone who used to be the same. _

Sasha pitied her. The kid was just another result of her environment. Evil is not born. She believed everyone was born pure, but later on stained by the filth of sin. She was just a child. Everyone back then, Eren, Mikasa, Reiner, Connie, Jean, they all used to be children. Commander Levi and Hange used to be children too. Their childhoods were long lost. Kids at the time would have had stains of mud on their shirts, yet they were staining their shirts and hands with blood. Kids should be out swimming in pools on a hot summer day, yet they were the unfortunate one’s who found themselves swimming in a pool of blood that did not belong to them.

“Speak up.” 

——

Mikasa stormed into the living room and the tension in the air was suffocating. The phone was currently in Eren’s hands, his eyes coated with anticipation and worry. Shuffling could be heard from the caller and the others moved closer to Eren to hear better.

“Eren, you must come here at dusk. Come alone, but I doubt you’ll do that.” Sasha paused to take deep breaths before resuming. “Eren Jeager must die, and I’ll be fine if his head is on the boss’ table.”

“No, the deal’s—“ Eren interrupted Mikasa and shook his head.

“We have a deal.” With a sigh, she continued to read the address as tears began to soak the paper. 

Yelena left to prepare the lower ranking squads for their mission to raid Marley’s base and retrieve Sasha. Boxes of ammunition was sent to the living room and everyone grabbed what they thought they needed. Armin felt out of place and had no idea what he was supposed to get. From the corner of Eren’s eye, he watched his friend struggle to find what he needed.

“Just use these.” He pointed at the box on the far left of the table and Armin carefully opened it to reveal a handgun, a dagger, and some bullets. He didn’t know what the gun was called whatsoever but he shoved it in his pocket anyway. 

The ride was surprisingly smooth despite how fast it was going. As much as possible, they tried top avoid the traffic by changing routes. The short guy called Levi was driving and beside him was Hange who he just met this morning. They were a bit more lively compared to the rest. If it weren’t for them, the car ride would be awfully quiet. They talked about guns and weapons of all sorts and how they worked. Armin enjoyed the little lesson and made sure to keep everything in mind.

Nothing else could be seen besides cargo shipping containers,  _ lots of them _ . They arrived at the designated location and the smell of saltwater filled their senses. Groups of their soldiers dispersed. Hange, Levi, Yelena, Zeke, Connie, Mikasa, Reiner, Eren, and Armin stayed together. 

Armin was about to complain about how quiet it was until bullets started firing from the top of the cargo shipping containers.  _ So that’s where they were hiding _ . Reiner rushed to Armin’s side and lead him behind one of the empty cargo containers, avoiding the rain of bullets.

“Hey, I know you’re a first-timer but please don’t hesitate to shoot the enemy.” 

“Will it... _ kill them _ ?”

“Yes,” Reiner sighed before shooting down one of the approaching enemies. “Now go get Sasha.”

Nodding, he rushed off and made sure to stay close to the large containers. Taking deep breaths, he sprinted towards the next container then a Marleyan appeared. He quickly raised his gun and pulled the trigger, killing the enemy who now fell limp on the ground. Blood pooled around the body and Armin’s eyes closed shut at the gruesome sight before running off again to check the next containers, hoping to find Sasha.

Eren stood in front of a blonde man with an undercut and slicked-back hair. He wasn’t too tall, but he was quite intimidating. In his hands was an AR-15, not that it mattered to Eren since Yelena was beside him carrying a box that contained his M4 Carbine.

Before Yelena could take out the box, the blonde stepped closer to Eren and tossed the AR-15 on the ground. “I’m gonna kill you with my bare hands.”

“Try,” Eren stopped Yelena and she placed the box on the ground. 

Curling his hands into a fist, the man aimed for his nose but Eren was quick to dodge. Eren leaned forward and hit the man’s face using his elbow. 

“ _Jaeger_ , I’ll kill you for that.”  Eren knew that he definitely meant something else, and not the bloody nose he just received.

Now that Eren got a closer look at his opponent, he recognized him as Galliard. Zeke had talked about him a few times, but he couldn’t remember his first name.  _ Pocco ?  Polo?  _

Galliard pounced on him, making the two of them collide with the ground. Eren rolled over to his side before getting up and grabbing Galliard by the collar. He lifted his opponent from the ground. Pocco pushed Eren’s hands away and bashed his head against his. 

The impact caused Eren to stagger back, the world around him spinning as the metallic scent of blood gave him a nauseating feeling. He spat out blood before wiping his mouth with his hand. The overpowering smell of sweat did not help at all.

“Jaeger, do you have any idea what you’ve done? You don’t, so stop shitting around with your savior complex.”

Eren stayed quiet, allowing Pogo to continue. “You really think you’re gonna save us all huh? Say that to the families you’ve separated because you’re so goddamn greedy and selfish about your territory.” 

“What’re you getting at Pogo?”

“It’s Porco, remember that.” He rushed towards Eren and swung his fist numerous times, until Eren stops his fast and pushes him back. Porco gets up and grabs Eren by the throat, stopping his supply of oxygen.

“When I said I’ll kill you, I mean it.”

——

Armin stops in front of a warehouse. The entrance was locked shut and something in his gut told him that Sasha could be in there. He tried pushing the door, kicking the lock and he took out the dagger in his pocket in an attempt to break the lock. Yelena was running towards him and he moved aside. She crashed onto the entrance, breaking the lock and Armin quickly entered.

It was dark, the kind of dark where you can’t see anything but you have a feeling you wouldn’t want to see what’s there. That was too bad, since Yelena just had to have a flashlight to reveal a scary-looking kid with her hands drenched in blood. Her white blouse was stained with blood. Her red overall dress might have been stained with blood too, but he wouldn’t notice it. If the kid was frightening, well the scenery behind her was worse.

“Hey kid,” Armin said, hoping he won’t anger the girl. “Who’s that behind you?” 

_ I take that back. I don’t think I want to know. _

“ Oh, is this your filthy Eldian friend?” She dragged out the person behind her, giving Armin a better view of their face.

“ _SASHA_!” He made his way towards her, hugging her tight. “I’m so so sorry.” He started untying her chains and removing the piece of cloth that was tied around her mouth.

“Armin? Did you bring me food?” Her voice was hoarse and scratchy.

“Armin, we are still in the presence of our enemy.” Yelena reminded.

“It’s okay, you can have your reunion first.” The girl reassured them, it sounded a bit  _ too kind _ , but that didn’t matter to Armin right now.

“We’re gonna get you out of here, okay? Can you stand?” Obviously she couldn’t, so Armin helped her up. They walked out of the warehouse. A lot was in his mind, so many questions and he knew he didn’t want to ask Sasha what she had just been through, afraid that the things they did to Sasha would anger him and cause him to make irrational actions.

“Sasha, when we get home, I’ll give you the best food ever. Niccolo said he’ll make a feast.”

“A feast?” She mumbled.

“Yes, a feast. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“ _Sasha_?”

Sasha was awfully quiet now, despite the fact they were talking about food.

“ **_ Sasha _ ** !”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far. It would mean a lot if you would drop me some kudos. Feel free to comment absolutely anything. I’d love to hear from you guys ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow you made it, thanks for reading! Kudos are appreciated and feel free to give me your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> I hope this wasn’t as bad as I expected. Anyway, stay tuned to find out how Armin will react to the fact his bestie is a sexy mafia boss.


End file.
